This document discusses the need to prepare students with 21st century skills for future jobs and the changing economy. It notes that the skills needed are shifting from an industrial to information-based economy. Business leaders stress the importance of skills like critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability and real-world application over academic content alone. The document advocates for partnerships between schools, businesses and communities to better align education and workforce needs. It also highlights the challenges of keeping pace with rapid technological changes and the shortening lifespan of knowledge.

1. 21st Century Skills:
Is Your District Preparing
Students for the Demands of
the Future?
www.cesa1.k12.wi.us www.wicenterfored.org

2. Key question for most parents
today:
How do I insert my child into the
middle class or higher?

3. Share with me your thoughts about
the purpose and goals of American
public education.

4. We are suffering from a “quiet crisis” or a “creeping crisis”.
Our crisis is not the result of a one dimensional change.
There is no one single wakening event, like Sputnik. The
problem is the problems are like building a mosaic tile, they fall
into place one tile at a time. None by itself sufficient to
provoke action.
The collection of problems however creates a disturbing picture.

5. Our collective reaction thus far seems to presuppose the
citizens of the United States are entitled to a better quality of
life than others, and that all Americans have to do is to circle
the wagons to defend that entitlement.
Such a presupposition does not reflect reality and neither recognizes the
dangers nor seizes upon the opportunity of the current circumstances.

6. “Jobs we believed would always be
available and even plentiful are
disappearing. Most jobs have not
fled across any border; they simply
dissolved through efficiencies in
process engineering, technology, and
corporate strategy.”
The Jobs Revolution: Changing How America Works

7. Outsourcing Facts
Outsourcing accounts for less than
10% of the American jobs lost in the
past three years.

8. Troubled
American
Economy
OR
Troubled
Workforce

9. Here are the facts:
In the past decade
factory productivity
has increased 47% in
America.
Historically, 12 years
of school, then work.
New model
New skill set
New attitudes and
dispositions

10. Education: A Primary Economic
Driver
Education is workforce development.
Workforce development is economic
development.
Education yields a phenomenal “ROI”
(return on investment).
Education Education Education
Education
Education
Education
Education

11. The time to act is now.
“We are not planting alfalfa here, we are
planting the forests for the future.”
~ David Ward, CEO of Northstar Economics
“Even if you are on
the right track, you
will get run over if
you just sit there.”
~ Will Rogers

12. Name this country . . .

13. • Richest in the World
• Largest Military
• Center of world business and finance
• Strongest education system
• World center of innovation and invention
• Currency the world standard of value
• Highest standard of living

14. England.

15. In 1900.

16. Independence Revolution
(This revolution took five generations *)
Agricultural Revolution
(This transformation took five generations)
Industrial Revolution
(This transformation took five to six generations)
Information Revolution
*Remember the drastic changes in life expectancies during this period
moving from 40 years to slightly over 70 years for current generations
generations

17. The Three A’s
Awareness
Ambiguity
Anxiety

18. “The transcending economic consideration as we move into the 21st Century is the
globalization of the world’s economy into a single world market. The global economy is
of paramount importance but no one yet knows how it will work. I think that is good
news. If we don’t know how it works we can’t fix it”
John Naisbitt - Megatrends
China knows
education is the
platform on which
you build a sound
economy.
A global economy is
the reality.
We are experiencing
a jobs revolution.

19. Shortage of Workers, Shortage of Skills
Today we have too many people willing to
work in America.
Tomorrow, we will not have enough.
• “Boomers” will start retiring
• Women will not be replenishing the pool in the
record numbers of the past
• The “skill gap” will set in

20. Civilian Labor Force by Generation
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2000 2010
Traditionalist (1900-1945)
Baby Boomer (1946-1964)
Generation X (1965-1975)
Generation Y (1976-1994)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

21. Expected Labor Force and
Labor Force Demand, 2002-2031.
210
200
190
180
Labor Needed
170
Labor Available
160
150
140
130
2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 2030
Source: Employment Policy Foundation analysis and projections of
Census/BLS and BEA data.

22. Projected Skilled and Unskilled
Worker Gap in 2010 and 2020
2010 2020
Skilled
Worker Gap 5.3 million 14 million
Unskilled
Worker Gap 1.7 million 7 million
Total Skilled
& Unskilled
Worker Gap 7 million 21 million
Source: Anthony Carnevale, NAM White Paper, Reported in Business 2.com

23. Business Summit on 21st Century Skills
Focus Groups
Small group discussions were designed
to encourage business leaders to
answer focus group questions.
• What are the 21st century skills that will sustain
and grow a vibrant, global economy?
• What should be expected of today’s students so
they can be effective citizens and leaders in our
communities?

24. What Did We Find?
In identifying the skills students will
need for the 21st century, business
leaders most often cited:
• learning,
• thinking, and
• life skills.

25. They also stressed an emphasis on:
• critical-thinking and problem solving,
• collaborative communication skills,
• people skills,
• contextual learning skills,
• personal responsibility,
• ethics, and
• adaptability (nimbleness).

26. Five Major “Needs”
1. Well-rounded and adaptable individuals.
2. Balance of academic content and real-
world skills.
3. Emphasis on 21st century skills.
4. Partnerships between schools, business,
communities, and government.
5. Collaboration and team-building skills.

27. World Class Academic
Standards
The Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
were established in 1998 for 18 subject
areas. The Department of Public
Instruction has begun a process of
reviewing the model academic standards,
building on the work of State
Superintendent Burmaster’s High School
Task Force.
<http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sprntdnt/hstask.html>.

28. News Flash: More Education = Less Unemployment
Percent of Workers with Some Postsecondary
Training, 1959 to 2015.
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1959 1995 2015
Source: Carnevale, Anthony P. and Richard A. Fry. Crossing
the Great Divide. Educational Testing Services, 2000.

29. The Dynamic That Education
Can’t Manage:
Speed
Facts to ponder:
1) Knowledge is being outdated at
rates that are still expanding.
2) While the number of new careers is
expanding, the life span of
applicable knowledge is decreasing.
3) What are the “targets” for K12
public education?

30. The Problem:
No single institution is charged with the
responsibility to manage the change of the jobs
revolution. Without cooperation, collaboration and
regionalism, the relationships and roadmaps will
not take place.

31. The Action Plan:
Schools need to be seen as the
leaders in the economic and
workforce development of this
country.
Effective education is a right in our
country, not merely an opportunity.

32. It translates to this:
World Class Schools
= A Better Workforce
= A Stronger
Economic Future

33. It is not knowledge we lack.
It is leadership.
A major purpose of our public
schools:
• To prepare Americans for the world of
work so they may support their families
and acquire a quality of life that exceeds
preceding generations.

34. Students, Schools and 21st
Century Teaching and Learning
Digital Natives in a Digital Immigrant
world.
Paradigm changing from “being
taught by us” to “teaching
themselves through our guidance”
SELF DIRECTED LEARNERS
• - Rubric for learners on website

35. Millenials/Digital Natives
Want to Learn
With technology
With each other
Online
In their time
In their place
Doing things that matter

36. Digital Digital
Immigrants Natives
teach by learn from
• Delivering content • Being Engaged
• Presenting & Telling • Doing & Gameplay
• Linear Stories • Random Access &
Exploring Options
• One Thing at a Time • Multi-tasking
• One Size Fits All • Personalized to Them
• Face-to-face • Going Online

37. But, given the right conditions,
Students eagerly learn from:
1. each other
2. discussions
3. researching
4. solving problems and problem finding
5. finding their own solutions
6. sharing with their peers
7. listening to their peers
8. seeing and dialoging with experts

38. Digital Digital
Immigrants Natives
Nouns Verbs
Use Blogs Share
Use Podcasts Communicate
Use Photoshop Create

39. Old New
Paradigm Paradigm
Kids Y
OG KidsOGY
OL OL
N
Hbeing
EC ESN’T HN RED
teaching
EC UI
T T
O
Dtaught EQ
themselves
R
HE LP (with guidance)
BOREDOM ENGAGEMENT

40. The e-Life

41. It’s important that teachers
DON’T WASTE TIME
Learning to Create With New Tools
The students can learn new tools! (and they want to)
“You’ll only
“Don’t try to
look stupid.”
keep up with
the technology
-- you can’t” – A 14 year old girl
– A 14 year old girl

42. Teachers need to:
• Understand new
technologies
• Help students evaluate
quality
• Figure out what tools will
help

43. 6 Keys to Engagement of
Today’s Student
1. Being respected
2. Creating – what they imagine
3. Voicing their opinions
4. Making decisions / Having control
5. Collaboration, and competition
6. Interacting with and affecting the
world –making a difference

44. SHARE THE WORK
Let Students Let Teachers
do what they do what they
do well do well
Use the technology, Evaluate, find quality,
find content provide context

45. 21st Century Learners
“Today’s education system faces
irrelevance unless we bridge the gap
between how students live and how they
learn.”
“Schools are struggling to keep pace with
the astonishing rate of change in students’
lives outside of school.”
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2003)

46. Framework for Learning:
Partnership for 21st Century Skills

47. 21st Century Literacy
From:
What should students be able to know and do
about technology and information literacy?
TO:
What skills and competencies will our students
need to live, learn and thrive in a workplace
that demands innovation and creativity?

48. Framework: 21st Century
Learning
Core Subjects

49. Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes
English Language Arts Global awareness
World languages Financial, economic,
Arts business and
Mathematics entrepreneurial
Economics literacy
Science Civic literacy
Geography
Health literacy
History
Government and
Civics

50. Framework: 21st Century
Learning

51. Life and Career Skills
Flexibility & Adaptability
Initiative & Self-Direction
Social & Cross-Cultural Skills
Productivity & Accountability
Leadership & Responsibility

52. Learning and Innovation Skills
Creativity and Innovation Skills
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Skills
Communication and Collaboration Skills

53. 21st Century Learning &
Outcomes
s
ill
Sk
n
s
tio
ill
Core Subjects
s
va
Sk
ill
no
Sk
y
ac
In
er
er
d
re
Lit
an
Ca
Current intersections?
ng
T
d
IC
Should there be intersections?
ni
an
ar
e
If so, at what level(s):
Le
Lif
State Standards/Benchmarks
District Curriculum
Classroom

54. 21st Century Support Systems
Standards & Assessment
Curriculum & Instruction
Professional Development
Learning Environments

55. 21st Century Learning &
Outcomes
Standards and Assessment
ills
Core
Curriculum and Instruction
Sk
s
Content
kill
y
Professional Development log
S
Areas
ion
no
Learning Environments
at
ch
s
ov
kill
Te
inn
S
&
er
dia
&
are
ing
Me
&C
arn
o
e
Inf
Le
Lif

56. How will the intersections happen?

57. •Thought out policies for technology access
and use (Ban?, Restrict?, Open with safeguards?)
• Professional development towards the
Learning Specialist
• Utilizing proficiency based teaching and
learning

58. Preparing students to succeed
Agility at learning skills is what
differentiates a 21st Century citizen
and learner from a 20th Century
citizen and learner.
The illiterate of the 21st century will not
be those who cannot read and write,
but those who cannot learn, unlearn
and relearn.
Alvin Toffler (2000)
Has your district positioned and leveraged itself for
the reality of the future of our students?

59. Categories of the New Middle
Class
Great collaborators
Great leveragers (of technology)
Great explainers
Great localizers
Great adapters
Passionate personalizers
Anything green
Thomas Friedman: The World Is Flat

60. 21st Century Regional Workforce
Learning Initiative Alliance Milwaukee 7
Research & Data Research & Data Research & Data
Analysis Analysis Analysis
Strategic Planning Strategic Planning Strategic Planning
Regionally-Focused Regionally-Focused Regionally-Focused
Initiatives Initiatives Initiatives
Expertise Inventory Expertise Inventory Expertise Inventory
•PK-16 Education •Workforce Development •Economic
Development
•Curriculum •Business Employment
Development Solutions •Business Economic
Solutions
•Skill Training •Worker Skill
Advancement •Workforce Preparation
IDENTIFIED REGIONAL NEED
REGIONAL COLLABORATIVE
SOLUTIONS

61. The Center For Education
Innovation and Regional Economic
Development
Mission
Through regional economic
development and the
transformation of public education
to world class twenty first century
schools, the Center will improve
the quality of life in Southeast
Wisconsin.

62. What are our Hopes and Aspirations?
“ We fundamentally believe that with this game
changer strategy, we will be poised to break the
cycle of poverty and economic despair
encountered by many of the youth of the seven
county region.
“With increased economic standing and hope comes
the opportunity to improve family support,
reduce crime, stimulate regional economic
growth through better skilled workers, who will in
turn produce civic and community outcomes that
will improve the region’s quality of life for all.”

63. Center Purpose
The Center for Education Innovation
and Economic Development is a
game changer organization and
service that enables public education
to transform and evolve to promote
economic development through 21st
century skills and the preparation of
our youth for the world of work.

64. What will the Center Do?
A Leadership Brokerage: Designed
to facilitate, train and support business
and education leadership for future
growth.

65. A Dynamic Catalyst: Focused on the
change process and serving as a change
agent.

66. A Transmission Line: Providing connections and
access for broad regional educational services and
business community interactions.

67. A Connector: Where regional educational
services and the business community intersect
and collaborate.

68. A Clearinghouse: For best
practice and innovative design that
produces higher quality results.

69. An Incubator: That houses think
tanks, symposiums, research design,
and other solution driven responses
dedicated to changing how we do
business.

70. The Game Changer: To promote a
philosophy and a plan for changing the
focus and resource allocations to better
meet the future needs.

71. “They’ve got great defensive
strategies, and they’re doing a
magnificent job of managing
decline”, said a longtime
industry executive. “The trouble
with doing a great job of
managing decline is that you’re
going to decline” (comments about
paper industry in WI)
--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 12/09/07
Improving education must be the top priority
“There are many needs in the region, but nothing is
more important than developing school systems that
adequately prepare kids for the world they will
inherit. This a challenge for us all.”
--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 7/28/07

72. Services for Education Innovation
Enterprise for World Class Schools
Organizational Development
Strategic Business
Partnership Program
Alignment of PK-16
Economic Regional Economic
Development Development
Future Business
Needs Profile
Systems Development
21st Century Learning Program
Accelerated Solutions Lab

73. The First Strand
We are out of sync as the workplace is gradually
changing.
•New skill sets are required
•Fewer lower skill jobs
•Changes in what workers need to know and how
to use it

74. The Second Strand
A New Understanding of Effective
Education
Mistaken Assumptions About How People Learn
•They are not passive receivers of wisdom
•Breaking down learning into smallest sequences
•Getting the right answer is not the only purpose
of learning

76. What can
THE CENTER
do for you?
Bruce Connolly Kathy Onarheim
bconnolly@cesa1.k12.wi.us konarheim@cesa1.k12.wi.us

77. Bruce Connolly Kathy Onarheim
Bruce brings over thirty years of Kathy has been in the education field
innovation and game changer strategies since 1980. She has been with CESA #1
to the Center. He has served on
numerous boards and in leadership roles since 2004. Prior to that she worked for
of several statewide organizations Milwaukee Public Schools in a variety of
including WASCD, WSPRA, Fair Aid areas, including the Director of School
Coalition as well as many task forces and Technology Support.
statewide committees. His background in
education includes time as a teacher, Ms. Onarheim has been involved with
principal, and district administrator in local, state and national projects
Illinois and Southeast Wisconsin. including Harvard University’s River City
As a trained Strategic Planner, he has Project, Preparing Tomorrow’s Teacher
developed Balanced Scorecards and to Use Technology, TEACH Wisconsin,
Strategy Mapping for schools as well as
Business Process Plans. He is well Star Schools Project, and the Distributed
versed in Breakthrough Performance Learning Objects Laboratory. She has
Planning. He was involved with the also coordinated and maintained
establishment of the first Youth partnerships focused on technology and
Apprentice Model in the State of
Wisconsin. Bruce was one of the learning with Harvard Graduate School
founders of the Sally Ride Academy in of Education, UW-Madison, Academic
1995 and still serves today as its Co-Lab and UW Parkside, among others.
president. Kathy received a B.A. from Alverno
Bruce holds advanced degrees from College. She received a Masters of
Northern Illinois University and the
University of Northern Iowa. Science in Educational Change and
Technology Innovation from Walden
bconnolly@cesa1.k12.wi.us University, Minneapolis, MN.
konarheim@cesa1.k12.wi.us